Get out and VOTE!!

Tomorrow is voting day...now it seems like everything is undecided. It's Barack...then Hillary....then Barack....then Hillary. The Democrats need to make up our mind and just stick with someone so we can get on with the elections. Since I drive so much I am up to my neck with CNN and NPR....that is all I listen to on the radio. It sounds so much like a married couple arguing over such little things. We need to get back to the issues and not focus on a tax break on gas for the summer that will not do much for the individual family but will lose so much for the highway and road funding. It's crazy...it's all about the votes and politicians will say anything, change to be who the latest polls say is best to get them elected. This is turning out to be another political battle that is becoming too political. I just want the facts and then I can decide. It is turning in to a game....how can we sway the American public to vote for us. The problem with that is while they are trying to sway us and many of American people believe their many persona changes, it feels to me like we are losing the focus on who the candidate truly is and what they stand for. Well it is getting close to the end. You bet I am voting tomorrow and I am on edge to see the results of North Carolina and Indiana. It's a close one.

From Charlotte....

I am writing from Mark & Christy's house here in Charlotte. Maddox is in the room next to me watching "Lazy Town"...one of his favorite shows.....Randy along with everyone here are all sleeping. It was a good time last night. Sometimes when things are going so fast and you are doing so much you sometimes just get caught up in the "doing". We took this weekend to just get away and celebrate Todd's Birthday and spend time with family. We are really enjoying ourselves here...it's not only that we are here but we are really connecting and getting to know everyone and really REALLY like them. You know how family is...or people in general are now days. It's all on the surface but we don't really try to get to know another person because it just takes too much time or it's too personal. With all of them here it just feels like we have known them forever and have grown up together.

Today we will be leaving back to Greensboro....and getting some relaxation for the rest of the day. I will keep the blog updated with any new things.

Plus the elections here in NC is right around the corner!! GO BARACK!! I just hope that the people can see him for who he is and not what the media is making him appear to be.

Easter 5K - Easter Egg Hunt

I just ran the Easter 5K this morning and it felt so wonderful to get out there in the fresh air and actually work my body out. After this long bout of being sick and Randy and Maddox being sick too it was much needed. Not to mention that I won in my age division and so did Becky!! It was really unbelievable but wow what a motivator. So now I am going to sign up for some more 5K's later on this month and tomorrow I am going on a 6 mile group run with some fellow Greensboro runners from "Off N Running". It's going to be good to have other people challenge my distances so one day hopefully I can reach my goal of a half-marathon and then finally a marathon! One day...

Randy and Maddox went to Tee's house to celebrate Easter. They went to City Lake Park and did an Easter egg hunt, rode rides, and just got a ton of candy. Then I met them back at the house and we ate lunch and hid eggs. Both Tyler and Maddox were both so tired but I think they had a good time. We are back at the house and Randy and Maddox are STILL sleeping at 4 in the afternoon. WOW! They are pooped...so I am busy catching up on my blogging, laundry, dishes, and anything else that is sitting around the house needing to be done. When the house is quiet it is the best time for me to get all of this done.

Tomorrow I am going to finish my application for NorthEastern University's MIP program and will get it submitted on Monday. I have my fingers crossed that I can get in to that program. I'll keep you updated on that.

Running

My running schedule has been not so good. What is going on?? I guess that is going to be a part of just going with the flow. I guess in the whole process I have to realize that it isn't always going to be easy to get my run in but I have to make time. So I ran Monday & Tuesday...but today I didn't have time to go. I am hoping I can find some time tomorrow. I need to go with a running group. I know some days "Off & Running" has training groups. I'll look in to them for this week. I can just imagine it now...all these super fit people and me lagging way behind them clutching on to my every breath. LOL. I need to get up to 4 miles by the end of this week, I'll check back in to make sure I reach that goal. :)

Another crazy week with Maddox being sick!!

Most of this week has been dedicated to Maddox feeling better. Days off work, trips to the hospital, just a crazy busy week. He is actually doing much better now but I don't think that Randy & I got to spend any time this week together. It was just in and out, making sure Maddox got to all of his appointments and got his medicine on time. I am drained but still moving forward. As long as Maddox is improving...and he is....then we are doing the right thing. Randy had a sick episode this morning and I am just hoping that it was just something that will pass.

While we are on the subject of being sick...why is it that we have insurance but we are still paying on doctors bills?? It's absolutely crazy! That is the whole reason we have insurance to begin with! The antibiotic that we had to just recently buy was $80.00, plus each doctor's visit is $20...it all adds so quickly. I couldn't even imagine being older and having more health problems. I really think I'll be a citizen of Canada by then for the free health care. smile! GO WES AND MOM!!!

BARACK THE VOTE!!

I am so glad that you guys seem to be supporting Obama...he is the "new kid" on the block and had a lot of cynicism to face from the American public. Especially with the machine on the right wing trying to busily put the "RIGHT" candidate on the republican side. This year has been quite the year for a change (a word rightfully stolen from the Obama campaign and used by everyone) From the start Randy & I really thought his message was great. He can hold this nation together, I can see myself in Obama. He has the same spirit that I have, the same home for our nation. He will be able to bring people together, not polarize them. I thought it might be the generation I am in is sick and tired of not being able to do anything while the rich white men in control took over. I see now from the voting that in fact it is all people that are sick and tired of a small group of religious right people trying to push their agenda. Since when did religion become such a big part of politics? Since when are we stripped of our freedoms. I thought we were in America, land of the free, but I felt my voice slowly slipping away from me during the 8 years the Bush administration destroyed our pride in America, Economy, freedoms thanks to the Patriot act, and has imposed specific religion on the world. Not to mention starting a war that never needed to take place at all causing the whole world to look at Americans even worse off than they had before....as if we are trying to impose our beliefs and our thoughts on the rest of the world. So many people have died and reputations have been destroyed, lies have been told and people have gotten rich. All for a small cost of the AMERICAN PEOPLE. If had anyone to represent my voice right now in all of this mess that we are in I would want Barack more than anyone to lead the United States of America.

As much experience as Hillary has, and she has TONS, I just don't see her representing my thoughts and feelings. She is too political for me, plays the game too well....although Barack must be able to keep up with the best of them regarding politics I don't leave after watching him speak thinking that I just saw a show. Like the tear that Hillary produced before New Hampshire. I didn't feel it was genuine. It may have been...but I didn't feel it. I am proud that a woman is running for president and there are a lot of women that I respect and have a lot of admiration for. I don't feel the honesty and compassion from Hillary. These typically female traits that I look for are apparent in Obama which is a odd twist with the democratic candidates. I leave feeling like he is honest and being true to himself. I like that...other people like that...and I really have let out a sigh of relief that he just might win. That people are changing their minds...that gives me hope. Your e-mails have given me hope for this nation...and the hope that Maddox will live in a better America. If we can only start to try to dig ourselves out of this hole....

I want a leader that inspires me to contribute and gives me hope that we can change. We'll see as times goes on with this election. I am really excited about this process this year...and following all of it on the news. We have got to take a stand and make a difference this year.

MLK DAY / What are you reading??

I am settling in front of the computer after a fun filled morning with Maddox. His daycare is closed in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. We took our time getting ready this morning. I sat around playing ball with Maddox in our PJ's and indulged in a shower at about 9am. I say indulged because shower time in the mornings are just so hard to get these days. We went a few places to pick up some things for the house and then decided to go to Pier 1. I got a gift certificate and figured since Maddox was just doing so good we would go in there to see if I could find something to add to our home. HA! Maddox was all over that store, it was like someone flicked a switch on him and I think I had gotten a dirty stare from every single person in that store. I quickly realized that I was the highlight of everyone's shopping experience and quickly picked up my kicking and laughing son in my arms and as quietly and calmly as I could, left the store. He did great at home and we enjoyed our lunch with Randy. Not too bad for a morning out, it could have been worse. :) The joys of parenthood...

Maddox is sleeping now and there is laundry to do and hopefully I will be able to start on my new book. It is called "Three Cups of Tea. One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time". If anyone has read this book before let me know what you thought of it..or just let me know the books you are reading now. I haven't had much time to read but 2008 is my year to do the things I haven't had time to do before.

This afternoon the Children's Museum locally will be having an event for MLK day and I look forward to just exposing Maddox to the basics of this powerful and inspiring man. His words really touch my heart as I know they do millions of us around the world. Sasha's blog really had some wonderful web sites and a great post about Martin Luther King. http://headinghomeagain.blogspot.com/

The other day I was working in a hospital in Winston-Salem and as I passed their chapel I heard this music just flowing out of the room. I looked over long enough to see someone motioning to me to come in. I took a seat and realized that in this room, at this point of time...30 people of all races were together to listen to beautiful music and the words of Martin Luther King Jr. His words do live on... Towards the end they started to sing "We Shall Overcome.." Not knowing a single person there we all took each others hand and lifted them up to the ceiling. There were people crying, the song and words were so powerful. After it was done I looked around at the people around me..people of all different backgrounds all together in the same place. I wondered, is this the dream that Martin Luther King Jr. wanted for us? How much more do we have to go to realize the full extent of his dream and what kind of leader do we need to get us to that point? I left filled with hope and took a piece of Martin Luther King Jr. home with me that day. He had a dream, and with that dream he changed all of us.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm